Founded in 1986, East Tennessee Foundation ( ETF ) is a public, nonprofit, community foundation created for the purpose of building charitable resources to make communities stronger and lives better through thoughtful giving.This 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization was established through a merger of Community Foundation of East Tennessee and Business Trust for the Arts and began with assets of $625, 000 making grants to contiguous counties. The Foundation serves as a vehicle for philanthropy by connecting donors with the causes they care about most. A wide variety of assets in any amount can be accepted to serve almost any charitable purpose. ETF is a collection of hundreds of individual charitable funds and supporting organizations established by individuals, families, businesses, and other nonprofits and foundations. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of leaders from throughout the region and managed by a professional staff. Under the watchful eye of the Board and staff, assets are wisely invested to provide a valuable source of grantmaking dollars for important projects and programs in our region, as well as elsewhere in the nation and the world. Essentially, a community foundation does three things: 1 ) receives money 2 ) manages and invests money and 3 ) gives money. There are over 650 community foundations nationwide and they are one of the fastest growing forms of philanthropy in the United States.